


Frost

by Saccharine_Ghosts



Series: Requests [5]
Category: The Evil Within (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Christmas, Kissing, M/M, One Shot, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-03
Updated: 2018-01-03
Packaged: 2019-02-27 21:45:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,681
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13257252
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Saccharine_Ghosts/pseuds/Saccharine_Ghosts
Summary: Eventually Christmas came, and with each passing day Sebastian became more and more on edge. Joseph had helped him, so had Juli, and he was confident that this plan was utterly and completely foolproof, but he was still nervous about the whole thing. It was important, not just for him, but for Joseph and Lily as well. If this fell through or if Christmas wasn’t anything but absolutely perfect, it would ruin Lily, and he couldn’t have that.Prep for her big present lasted two weeks exactly. On top of the busy holiday season at work, Sebastian felt like he was being pulled in all sorts of directions. Joseph had a thousand great ideas on the go, and Juli had a thousand not-so-great ideas as well, and keeping up with both of them was a challenge; but a challenge he couldn’t give up on. Sebastian was stubborn as hell, yes, but some may say determined.





	Frost

**Author's Note:**

> This goes out to Tumblr user @foamimi who requested some lighthearted Joseb trying to find a pet for Lily! Also featuring explicitly gay Jo and trans Seb, because they also asked about that as well. I decided not to tag it because it's not really important to the story, but you get what you get. This honestly got away from me, but it's soooo fluffy and tooth-rotting. Hope you enjoy!!

In all the years he had been a father, in all the time Lily had been in his care, Sebastian had never seen her so indifferent about a Christmas before. Maybe last Christmas she was like this as well, though he couldn’t remember to save his life. The entirety of those twelve months had gone by in a drunken, court-ridden haze, but he had somehow managed to get full custody of Lily, so things should be cleared up; keyword being should. It didn’t seem to matter that she got to stay in her home, or that she could still see her friends from school, Lily seemed so glum these days, and not even the promise of her favourite holiday could break her from the stupor. 

She seemed uninterested in most things these days, actually. In the transition from her tenth to her eleventh year, dolls gave way to video games and comic books, and by the time she was twelve it seemed that even those were on the backburner. 

Sebastian thought about the upcoming holiday as he watched the school let out. Kids rushed from the front doors almost immediately, running off to meet with friends or get into warm cars to be away from the biting cold. It wasn’t long before his daughter emerged, dressed in the thick parka he had put on her that morning, and the knitted cap her grandmother had given her for her birthday. 

“Hey,” he greeted as she slipped in, with none of her usual enthusiasm at the promise of a ride in the cruiser. “How was school?” 

“Alright.” 

Something seemed off. She punctuated her sentence with the clip of her seatbelt and propped her elbow on the door, staring off into the distance and leaving no segue for further questioning. He left it at that. 

Even as the redness of her chilled nose and cheeks subsided, she didn’t try for conversation again. It was strange, but she didn’t seem in a sour mood. Lily loved talking about what her friends were up to, what art projects they were currently working on, or boasting about the mark she got in maths. It was unusual for her to stay so quiet, especially on one of the odd times Sebastian had off work to pick her up. 

“You know,” she finally spoke up as they rounded the corner from Main to Seldom Avenue, “Bridgette’s brother just got a cat.” 

The sound of Bridgette’s name was like nails on a chalkboard. She had been the subject of many conversations in the Castellanos household, usually ones that ended in “I’m sorry, Lily, but we don’t have that kind of money.” 

And sure, Lily understood perfectly fine. From a young age they had taught her that not everybody had the same advantages, and she should be grateful for what she has. It worked, but she was always a little disappointed when her friend showed up to school with something she knew she would probably never get her hands on. 

“Oh?” he inquired, waiting for her to continue. 

“Yup,” she twirled a lock of her dark brown hair in her fingers as she finally looked away from the window, “She’s a tabby.” 

“Bridgette told you that?” 

“No, her mom brought her to class.” She held up her hands in a cupping gesture, “She’s like this big! _So-o-o-o-o cute.”_

He chuckled, “I could only imagine.” 

After that she went back to staring out the window, still fiddling with her hair under her cap. 

“Did you… did you ever have any pets, Daddy?” 

The insinuation in her voice was clear, but he knew better than to feed into it. She wouldn’t push, but it was better to steer clear of those topics to avoid heartbreak. 

“Yeah, actually,” he thought back on his childhood, “We had two dogs, and Sofia had a lizard.” 

“Tía had a lizard?” 

“Mhm, I’m pretty sure it was a bearded dragon, but it was so long ago I’m not sure now. You should ask her when we phone to say merry Christmas.” 

It was good to see Lily a bit more excited about something, but it was short-lived as she immediately turned back to the road, slumping back down in the oversized seat. 

“Wish I could have a lizard.” 

“Yeah, no, I don’t think so,” he grimaced, “I don’t remember much, but I remember that it smelt… pretty gross.” 

She crossed her arms, “Well, I’d clean it every day.” 

“You say that now, but who ends up cleaning your room after I ask you every time?“ 

“Not every time-“

“No really, who?” 

The detective’s daughter sighed, admitting defeat. “Juanita.” 

“Juanita! Exactly. Nice work, detective.” He ruffled the top of her hat, pulling it down into her eyes and making her let out an annoyed huff. “No more bribing her, by the way, we kinda need her around.” 

“I don’t bribe her…” 

Though she didn’t seem like she believed her own words, Sebastian knew the woman had a soft spot for his daughter. It wouldn’t take much for her to bend to Lily’s every whim. 

“Maybe you should think about it a bit,” he pat her knee a few times, “Lizards are a lotta’ work, maybe something easier for your first. Like a fish-“ 

He shut up when she glowered at him, obviously unappreciative of the aspect of getting a fish for her first pet. Still, Sebastian chuckled and ruffled her hair again before pulling into their driveway.

 

“I don’t know, do you think she’s ready for that?” 

Sebastian was expecting that kind of answer when he asked his co-workers the next day about his plan, but definitely not from Juli. 

“She’s twelve and already more mature than Sebastian, so I wouldn’t doubt it.” 

Although said detective feigned offense at the words of his partner, he knew it was pretty accurate. 

“When I was twelve I cared about one thing and one thing only;” Juli shot a finger gun in Sebastian’s direction, “Magnum P.I.” 

“Yeah well, Lily’s not over the age of thirty, nor does she have a worryingly longstanding crush on Tom Selleck.” 

“Guys,” Sebastian interrupted, “I just… I don’t even know where to start. I mean, she hasn’t talked to me about that... that demon comic guy, in months!” 

“Hellboy?” 

The eldest detective sighed at his partner, giving a flippant wave with his hand. “Probably.” 

“Can’t help you there, big guy, sorry.” As she walked passed, Juli gave him a sympathetic pat to the shoulder. “That’s something you have to figure out on your own, I think. Different strokes, and all that.” 

Sebastian had to agree. Nobody knew exactly what they could handle but himself, and it would ultimately be his decision. It didn’t help that he had very little experience in recent years with animals, or what kind of care anything but a cat or dog would entail. He was more of a dog person, but what about Lily? He should take her into account too. Or maybe he was thinking too hard about this.

“Hey,” Joseph stepped forward as the door closed behind Juli, giving them a bit of privacy. “Don’t worry too much about it, alright?” As he stepped further into Sebastian’s space, the older man visibly relaxed, head falling forward in a slight nod. “Christmas isn’t for a few weeks. I can help you pick something out.” 

He let out a soft hum as the shorter man stood between his legs, cupping his face and pulling him down slightly so he could press a kiss to the corner of his mouth. Normally such affections were kept for more private moments, where co-workers couldn’t walk in and see, but when it came to Lily, Joseph was a little more lenient. 

“Any ideas?” 

Joseph let Sebastian grip his sides, thumbs skimming idly across the smooth silk of his vest, tight around his hips, and looping in his belt. 

“Maybe a few,” he gave the older man one of his rare smirks, “Like I said, you have time. Meanwhile,” he let his fingers trail across Sebastian’s jaw, “You should think about shaving.” 

With a groan, the detective leaned back against the table, moving just out of his partner’s grip. “You’re killin’ me.”

“You know I like it, it’s just getting out of hand.” He laughed as Sebastian lay completely flat on the desk, flipping him the bird like a child. “Really, you’re starting to look a bit…”

“Homely?” 

“I was going to say scruffy, but-“ 

The door to the office suddenly swung open, Connolly stepping inside and making Joseph take one large jump backwards, Sebastian not making any sign of moving. 

“Call from dispatch, we need you at the Circle K by the mall - ASAP.” 

With that, he was gone, and there was no more time to discuss the upcoming holidays. 

 

Sebastian was left to stew on it for another week before it was brought up again. Somehow, both him and Joseph had managed to get off work early at the same time, so the younger came over and made dinner. It was simple; some kind of soup with salad on the side, but it was perfect for the chilly Krimson weather. It seemed like this year would be one for the books in the way of snow. 

“Joseph,” Lily began, stirring her soup absentmindedly, “Have you ever had a pet?” 

He immediately dropped the spoon into his bowl, staring up at Sebastian who was soaking a piece of bread and butter in his own, a neutral look on his face. 

“Actually, I didn’t when I was younger, but I had a cat a few years ago.” He wiped at the small spill he had left on the tablecloth, “My mom was very allergic to fur.” 

Lily nodded, brow furrowed like she was really analyzing the information. “What happened to your cat?” 

Sebastian gave him a warning glance. ‘You better make this as soft as possible on her, or I swear!’ it said. 

“Actually, you were really little so you probably don’t remember, but your dad gave me the cat.” 

The girl looked scandalized, shooting her father a glare. “He did?” 

“Yes, apparently he found him in a dumpster.” 

“Dad!” 

Joseph got a sorry look on his face, knowing he probably said the wrong thing, but still looking on the verge of laughing. Lily said ‘Dad’ which only meant she was about to put her father through the wringer, much to Joseph’s amusement. 

“I know you like Joseph a lot, but you didn’t even consider me…” she slumped in the dining chair, blowing loose strands from her face. 

“You were too young for an animal, sweetheart, and besides-“ he shook his head at the memories, “That cat was… something else.” 

“Gomi was a good boy,” cut in the younger detective, punctuating his words with a point of his spoon. _“You’re_ just not a cat person.” 

“Excuse me,” he leant back, fingers in tight fists on the table. “I know plenty of cats who like me. He was old, and senile, and had it out for me.” 

“He was protective. There’s a difference.” 

“He was a Rottweiler in a cat’s body.” With a shake of his head, he stood, taking his empty bowl with him to grab seconds. “Anyway, I’m not about to pull a cat out of any old dumpster for you, Lily, I’m sorry.” 

She pouted slightly, turning back to Joseph. 

“You’re the lucky one, I guess.” 

Joseph couldn’t help but choke on his soup a little at that. 

After Lily went to bed and the dishes were done, both Joseph and Sebastian took to the couch for a bit of relaxation. It may have been the holidays, but their job was far from quiet. It seemed like even getting a day off early was a feat, and both of them weren’t about to waste it. There was something colourful on the television, a Christmas program both of them had seen many times in Lily’s younger years, but somehow Sebastian had managed to coax Joseph onto his lap, and there was not much watching going on. The older man had even shaved, all the more reason for Joseph to give into his boyfriend’s badgering.

Around the time the leading man on the television was going through his big plotted epiphany, Joseph hesitated, pausing briefly in his ministrations against Sebastian’s mouth. The older man stopped too, pulling him back so he could get a better look at his flushed face. 

“Everything alright?” 

Joseph nodded, but didn’t move to speak again, just letting his body rest on top of Sebastian’s. There must have been something on his mind, Seb knew, so he let it happen, stroking back freshly washed locks from the other man’s face. 

“Seb…” he started, playing with one of the tabs of the blanket they had been sharing. “Do you remember when… when I told you I was gay?” 

What kind of question was that? It was only a year ago, of course Sebastian remembered. He was sure Joseph was nervous, but it had been just as life changing for Sebastian; a big step for both of them.

“What’s this about?” 

“Just listen –“ Joseph sat up, arms encasing the other man’s face. “Then you told me you... you told me you were trans, and asked if you could kiss me…” 

Oh, so that’s where this was going.

“And I told you-“ 

_“I can’t do that to Lily.”_

He finally broke his gaze, staring back at the tassels of the blanket. 

“Jo,” the older man shuffled a bit, forcing them both to sit up. “What is this about? Did she… did she say something to you?” 

“No, nothing like that.” He chewed his bottom lip, gripping tightly to the legs of his sweatpants. “It’s just that this is my first real Christmas for a while and it’s… it’s with you two, and I just –“ The dark-haired man inhaled deeply, calming his sore nerves. “I don’t want to screw this up. I want it to be special, but I also don’t want to intrude, you know?” 

Sebastian smiled, pulling Joseph back down onto his chest so they could lie down. Again, he began threading his fingers through the other man’s now damp locks, letting him slowly relax back into position. “Can’t say I do, but you know what? I know Lily loves you, even though you’re not quite ‘Uncle Jojo’ anymore. I know you’re definitely not intruding, and I know it means a hell of a lot to both of us that you’ve been thinkin’ about this so hard.” 

The younger man let out a soft groan, burying his face even further into his boyfriend’s chest. “It’s all I could think about all week!” 

With a soft chuckle, Sebastian cupped the other man’s face, bringing him up into a chaste kiss that lasted more than a few moments than it needed to. Joseph visibly relaxed, sinking further into the space between the other detective and the couch. 

“So, you’ve been thinking, what’s your verdict?” 

The corners of the other man’s lips lift slightly, hands still toying with the fabric of the other man’s sleep shirt. 

“Do you remember what Constable Liu said about the K9 department last week?” 

 

Eventually Christmas came, and with each passing day Sebastian became more and more on edge. Joseph had helped him, so had Juli, and he was confident that this plan was utterly and completely foolproof, but he was still nervous about the whole thing. It was important, not just for him, but for Joseph and Lily as well. If this fell through or if Christmas wasn’t anything but absolutely perfect, it would ruin Lily, and he couldn’t have that. 

Prep for her big present lasted two weeks exactly. On top of the busy holiday season at work, Sebastian felt like he was being pulled in all sorts of directions. Joseph had a thousand great ideas on the go, and Juli had a thousand not-so-great ideas as well, and keeping up with both of them was a challenge; but a challenge he couldn’t give up on. Sebastian was stubborn as hell, yes, but some may say determined. 

When the day finally came, Joseph stayed at his own house for the night on Christmas Eve, a small price to pay for the excitement of the morning. Lily had slept in Sebastian’s bed, as usual, but this morning it wasn’t a growing girl that woke him up, it was the light shining in from the blinds he forgot to close. 

When he turned his head, Lily was still fast asleep, using his bicep as a pillow and drooling uncontrollably. 

Ignoring the nervous flutter in his belly and the warmth he felt from the sight, he gently pulled it out from under her, only stirring her a bit, before he made his way to the kitchen and began breakfast. He wasn’t a fantastic cook by any means, but there was no way he could ruin simple eggs, bacon, pancakes, and hashbrowns. 

By the time the table was set and the coffee had brewed, Lily was up, rubbing her eyes and dragging a worn Spider-Man blanket behind her, hair tousled and untameable. 

“Merry Christmas, sweetheart, how’d you sleep?” 

“You _snore.”_

She picked a piece of bacon off one of the plates and stepped away as if to move to the living room. 

“Hey!” he called after her, “No video games! Come eat breakfast, then we’ll open gifts, after that you can play… Red Dead whatever.” 

Not one to argue, she just stepped back into the room, wrapping the blanket around her shoulders and quickly shovelling food onto a plate. For such a small girl, she definitely got her appetite from her father. The pile on her plate was almost as big as his own.

“Is Joseph coming over?” 

He slowly nodded, “Yeah, should be over in a bit. Is that… is that okay? I mean, if you don’t-“ 

“Dad,” she rolled her eyes, “Of course it’s okay. Why would it not be?” 

The sinking feeling in his gut grew heavier when she didn’t meet his eyes, spearing multiple chunks of potato with her fork and shoving it into her mouth with little to no enthusiasm. 

“Listen Lily, I’ve been thinking –“ 

Before he could continue, the tell tale sound of keys in the front door sounded, and Joseph shuffled through the door. 

“Hello?” 

“Hey, we’re just eating, sorry we didn’t wait. How’re the roads?” 

Joseph walked into the kitchen, sans his normal attire, trading his regular work clothes in for a hoodie and soft woollen gloves. They didn’t kiss, but the younger man gave him a soft smile and rested on hand on his shoulder, and it felt all the same. 

“It’s alright, they were a little icy but not too bad.” With a growing smile, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small red gift bag, placing it on the table between him and Lily. “Merry Christmas, Lily. You open that, I just have to grab a few things from the car.” 

After Joseph left, pulling off his gloves and walking back down the hallway to the foyer, the girl looked expectantly at her father, who just nodded softly and began chewing on a piece of bacon again. With the knot of nerves in his throat, he couldn’t quite manage to swallow it down. 

“He didn’t have to-“ she paused, stopping all of her tearing of tissue completely, and pulled out a small black collar with a blank tag. 

Lily was completely silent. Sebastian was silent. The whole room was silent, apart from the dripping of the coffee machine and the ticking of a clock somewhere in the living room. 

“What…” she held the collar in both hands, holding it up to her face and examining it as if a closer look would tell her the meaning of the gift. 

The door sounded again, opening and closing, followed by the sound of sock-clad footsteps before Joseph could be seen again – carrying a tiny sable puppy in his arms. 

“Oh my – Oh my god, is that for me?” 

She launched from the chair, Spider-Man flying into the air and crumpling to the ground behind her as she ran full-speed into the hallway and held out her arms to pet the small shepherd. 

“Yeah, all yours.” Joseph couldn’t help the soft smile on his face as he handed it over gently, “You get to name him and everything, he’s young enough that he didn’t get used to one.” 

Tears were welling in her eyes, but she would never cry in front of anybody if she didn’t need to. With a sniff, she plucked the dog from Joseph’s arms and held him to her face. “Th-thanks, Jo, I love him.” 

“Don’t thank me,” he shook his head, smile growing even wider. “Thank your dad.” 

Like she couldn’t believe it, she spun on her heels, clutching the tiny dog that whimpered and lapped at her face even tighter, and looked her father dead in the eye. “Is that true?” 

“Yeah but,” he rubbed the back of his neck bashfully, gesturing with his free hand to Joseph, “It was honestly Joseph’s idea. He’s the one who remembered one of our colleagues talking about rejected force dogs and… they were just giving away these well trained dogs so we thought it would be perfect.” 

“It is,” she ran to him, wrapping one arm around her father and holding the puppy close to her side. “Thank you, thank you, thank you! I promise I’ll take him for a walk every day. No – Twice a day! I’ll take him for two walks, a-and feed him, and –“ 

“Lily,” he cut her off with a small chuckle, “I think one walk’s good enough, don’t overdo it.” 

Regardless of what he said, Lily continued to thank him, giving her word that she would go above and beyond what was expected of her. Not only that, she completely forgot about her other presents in the lieu of fawning over her new pet. Even after Joseph sat down and ate his share of breakfast, Lily continued to talk at warp speed, asking them both all sorts of questions about how the dog had been trained, what kind of food they should buy it, and how she could take better care of it. 

It had been months since she had last been this enthusiastic about something, and the weight in Sebastian’s stomach and bearing down on his shoulders suddenly ceased to exist. 

 

After that, things were better. Not perfect, far from it, but better. Lily had something to do every day, a duty apart from schoolwork that she enjoyed, and her afternoons were spent walking the dog around the block and up to the convenience store instead of the same repetitive games over and over. She was definitely happier with Sebastian, and with Joseph too. They were bonding, Lily often choosing the other man’s taste in pet accessories and food over her father’s, but always thankful for the man’s input. 

She was speaking lots now, too. They always had something to talk about, apart from the usual school drabble. It wasn’t just about the dog, Lily also asked Sebastian about his workday and how things worked around the office. She seemed enthusiastic about everything, even told him that training her new best friend had given her a spark of interest in the same field as her parents. 

What really sealed the deal on things being better was when Joseph picked her up from school on her first day back from the holidays. 

“His name is name is Danny, like Danny Rand. That’s Iron Fist’s real name. He used to be a police dog, but he’s too nice, so my dad got him for me.” 

Even over the chatter of the other children, Joseph could hear Lily’s enthusiastic babble. It was snowing heavily outside, and he had just been commissioned a new vehicle recently, so he stepped inside in order to find her easier. Still, she looked too invested in her conversation to notice him by the door. 

“Lily!” 

The girl didn’t notice, walking along with her friends until a short brunette pointed in Joseph’s direction. “That guy just said your name.” 

With just a look over her shoulder she saw Joseph immediately, quite a bit taller than even the tallest boy in her grade, and sticking out like a sore thumb in his work attire. She gave him a wave and turned back to her friends, “Sorry, guys, dad’s here.” 

Joseph’s heart lurched. Could she be talking about him? 

“I thought your dad was…” the strawberry blonde beside her started, “Taller?” 

Lily just nodded, slowly side-stepping through the hallway, “My other dad is. Bye guys, see you tomorrow!” 

By the time she caught up with Joseph, his heart was racing a mile a minute. His palms were clammy, struggling to steady his breath through a scratchy throat, but he did manage a “H-Hey, Lily, how was school today?” 

“Great!” she grabbed his hand, pulling him out the front steps and through the flurry of kids still waiting outside, “Mrs. Bernthal is making us write an essay on what we want to do when we’re older. We have to interview some people at that job, then see if we still want to do it.” 

“Oh?” he raised an eyebrow, opening the passenger door for her as she approached the cruiser, “Have you decided what you’re going to write about?” 

“Mhm,” she buckled up, waiting for Joseph to slip in the driver’s side. “At first I thought I wanted to be a lawyer, like Daredevil. But I think I want to be a detective. Like you guys, and Aunty Juli.” 

The man almost hit his head getting into the car, knocking his glasses down his nose. She had been talking about work with Danny lately, but nothing very serious. To talk like this about it so openly really came as a surprise. 

“Well,” he composed himself, putting the car into gear, “Lucky your dad is a detective, eh? I’m sure he would be more than pleased to help you with your project.” 

As they pulled out of the parking lot, Lily pulled out a small agenda from her backpack and settled it in her lap, running her fingers along the edges and tapping it with the edge of a glitter pen. 

“Joseph do you think… I could ask you about it too?” 

It took all his quick-thinking skills not to slam on the breaks just then. All of this in one day was just too much, and his facial expression must have shown it. 

“It’s fine if you don’t want to! I-I’ve just interviewed my dad too many times, I think, so I thought…” 

“Lily, of course I’ll do it.” He forced a smile through the nervous tension, “Y-You can ask me anything, you know, not just about school.” 

Despite the frosty air and the man across from her that she almost had in hysterics, she gave a warm smile. “I know. Thanks, Jojo. Will you be home tonight?” 

He opened his mouth to speak but paused, suddenly unsure of where this was going. 

“I was supposed to go over a case with your dad, but –“ 

“Good, maybe we can do the interview after? I have to take Danny for a walk before it gets dark, anyway.” 

For the third time that day, how close him and Lily’s bond had become hit him in the face like a wall of cold snow, and even with the console heating up all the way he was still left trembling. When she asked if he was going home, she meant her home; their home, not his apartment on the other side of town that he had come to resent. It was no longer the symbol of freedom he lost himself in when he first moved to Krimson, it was a constant reminder that he was alone, even if Krimson had slowly became home. 

But maybe, finally, he did have a home.

“Sure thing, Lily,” he grinned back at her, “Sure thing.”

**Author's Note:**

>  _Gomi_ is Japanese for trash lmao 
> 
> As always, constructive criticism and comments are welcomed and encouraged!
> 
> If you have a request or would like to find me on other social media, my Tumblr is **milesupy0urs.tumblr.com** and I can be contacted there through DM or ask box.  
>  **(CW: NSFW Horror Blog)**


End file.
